Title: Ink in the Blood
Author: Kim Smejkal
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date: February 11, 2020
Page Count: 454
My rating: 2 1/2 stars
About the book:
Celia Sand and her best friend, Anya Burtoni, are inklings for the esteemed religion of Profeta. Using magic, they tattoo followers with beautiful images that represent the Divine’s will and guide the actions of the recipients. It’s considered a noble calling, but ten years into their servitude Celia and Anya know the truth: Profeta is built on lies, the tattooed orders strip away freedom, and the revered temple is actually a brutal, torturous prison.
Ink in the Blood by Kim Smejkal is the first book of the young adult fantasy series by the same name, Ink in the Blood. Being a continuing fantasy series the books of course should be read in order to be best understood as the story will continue on in the second book.
Celia and her best friend, Anya, have spent ten years in servitude at Profeta. Celia and Anya are what are known as inklings, they give religious tattoos full of magic in the name of Profeta. Now Celia and Anya see a way out and are auditioning to join a traveling troupe of performers known as the Rabble Mob. Celia and Anya want to use their abilities as inklings to gain a place among the performers.
Ink in the Blood by Kim Smejkal for me was another fantasy novel that got off to a very very slow start. Of course pacing is always the biggest factor that brings fantasy stories down for me so the slow start put this one on a unsteady foot before it really began. The story did pick up a bit as it went on and it did make me curious as to what would happen enough to finish this first book. However, I do believe I will pass on continuing this series with this first coming in at two and a half stars for me. I do seem to be in the minority again as I see a lot of others loving this one.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
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